The Romance of Libraries [Paperback]

Madeleine Lefebvre (Editor), Michael Gorman (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810853523 | ISBN-13: 978-0810853522 | Publication Date: November 17, 2005

In the halls of knowledge, amidst the towering stacks of books, more than just facts and fiction await. The Romance of Libraries is a collection of true accounts of emotional attachments formed in and with libraries and the library field. Madeleine J. Lefebvre has gathered personal narratives from around the world from people who work in or use libraries. From the very young to those in their nineties, these people share their tales of love. While most accounts are about romances that developed in a library setting, some are about romances with libraries themselves. Loosely arranged by context, the stories—happy, sad, or bittersweet—share an over-arching theme of the transformative and emotive power of libraries in our lives. Lefebvre's underlying message is that the physical library can play a role in our affections that the virtual library never can.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Shares stories collected from librarians and library users on how they found love at the library...The stories are a combination of happy, sad, and bittersweet, but together they clearly prove that the physical library plays an important role in the emotional lives of its staff and users.

(American Libraries )

This Valentine to our beloved institution is a compilation of stories about love in all its permutations, where either libraries or librarians are involved....Heartfelt throughout.

(Library Journal )

The Romance Of Libraries is a delightful anthology of true-life tales about emotional attachments and loving relationships formed within libraries and the library field....Offering a vital message that physical libraries are a crucial, community building block in a manner that virtual libraries cannot duplicate, The Romance Of Libraries is both lighthearted and an intensely satisfying collection of love stories. (Wisconsin Bookwatch )

An entertaining and often inspiring look at couples who've met in libraries, stolen a kiss in libraries, married in libraries, broken up in libraries, and those who've passed along the love of libraries to their friends and their children. It's proof that in this day and age of virtual libraries and e-braries, there's nothing like the wonderful look, smell, feel, and touch of the library and its papery contents.

(Lisnews )

The stories are short and to the point, but after reading them one has the sense of the continued importance of libraries as place, as well as their many other purposes. This is a "feel good" book, with underlying lessons that should be well-learned by librarians across the board. I would recommend this title to all readers of true love stories and to all librarians, to remind us of the importance of our buildings, as well as the people, collections and services within them. (Australian Library Journal )

Lefebvre (university librarian, Saint Mary's University, Halifax) offers here her collection of stories from a variety of people who understand the transformative and emotive power of libraries, from the study date in the mysterious and multilayered settings of the stacks and the catalogues, the attractions of academic libraries and reading rooms wherein people deeply committed to their subject find others of like minds, the work and love that become combined amongst student library assistants, the special tingle of the bookmobile, the curious dating service also known as intralibrary loan, and the opportunities for ecstasy found in conferences and library schools.

(Reference and Research Book News )

Fun and recommended.

(The Unabashed Librarian )

A labour of love...Very well-written...Recommended.

(Ex Libris Association Newsletter )

This book would make a nice gift for library lovers.

(Public Libraries )

About the Author

Madeleine Lefebvre is the University Librarian of Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She also currently serves as Chief Administrator of Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy and is the recipient of the 2006 Atlantic Provinces Library Association Merit Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (November 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810853523
• ISBN-13: 978-0810853522
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,556,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True-life tales about emotional attachments and loving relationships formed within libraries and the library field, January 10, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Romance of Libraries (Paperback)

The Romance Of Libraries is a delightful anthology of true-life tales about emotional attachments and loving relationships formed within libraries and the library field. Grouped loosely by context, the stories range from happy to sad to a mixture of joy and sorrow, and include tales of reading room romance, bookmobile romance, library school romance, library cupids, and more. Offering a vital message that physical libraries are a crucial, community building block in a manner that virtual libraries cannot duplicate, The Romance Of Libraries is both lighthearted and an intensely satisfying collection of love stories.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new perspective on libraries, December 11, 2005

By 

Library Lover (Southern U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Romance of Libraries (Paperback)

Madeleine Lefebvre has put libraries in a whole new light in this wonderfully entertaining collection. Library lovers everywhere should own this book. Story telling at its best.